THE PRESS in the Philippines has been described to be among the freest in Asia if not in the world, robust, almost rambunctious in its practice. But in the first 16 months of the Duterte administration, its status and practice have been diminished, shaken down by supporters and trolls of the President who would not tolerate critical coverage.
We of Kapayapaan, an alliance of advocates for a just peace, are disheartened by President Rodrigo Duterte’s rash and harsh statements cancelling/terminating the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), ordering the re-arrest of NDFP consultants and tagging the CPP/NPA as “terrorist”. These constitute a complete turnaround from his avowed policy of talking peace with the CPP/NPA/NDFP by negotiating much-needed socio-economic and political reforms to end close to five decades of armed conflict with the revolutionary movement.
The launch of Defending Journalism comes at an auspicious time. Within the next few days, on 23 November, we will commemorate the 8th anniversary of the Maguindanao/Ampatuan Massacre.
It has been said that those in power and the media have always been at odds.
We, public utility jeepney drivers, operators and commuters are united in holding the 2-day nationwide transport strike and people’s protest on October 16-17 to demand the junking of the Duterte administration’s Jeepney Phaseout Program.
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s idea of a “revolutionary government” is nothing else but the one-man dictatorship that he has been repeatedly dreaming of since last year.
An Open Letter written by Maria Teofilina Morales, wife of retired IFI bishop, Carlo Morales to the 39 Member States of the UN Human Rights Council* on Monday, October 2
The poem “Maghanda ka Juan” is written by Bro. Ronald Balgado C.Ss.R of the Redemptorists Church. He read the poem during the 45th anniversary commemoration of Martial Law in Roxas Avenue, Davao City on September 21, 2017
My grandparents’ house has an underground hole. It has been there since before I was born. For this reason, I was never bothered about its existence; I thought it was originally part of the house – like a basement where Lolo could store his farm equipment. Besides, the oldest houses in their neighborhood also have small underground holes, so it was never unusual for us.
Konsyensya Dabaw stands with fellow Dabawenyos who believe that regardless of how we voted last May 2016, we should not shirk from exacting accountability from public leaders that have been part of our city’s history for the past three decades.
